Lifestyle brand Bearpaw believes laughter is one of the most effective marketing tools around. To connect with its consumer base in a fun way, the company is launching the first in a series of live online shows running every other Thursday called “Bearpaw Presents 5 Minutes of Funny.” The show is scheduled to air at 2:00 pm EDT via Bearpaw.yourbrandlive.com/c/5minutesoffunny0917/ starting today.

According to Boo Friedmann, global director of media and marketing for Bearpaw and a former script writer, she and Julie Thomas, a Bearpaw marketing assistant who has a background in theater, have written the skits and host the show. The segments are filmed at Friedmann’s own studio.

Laughter, said Friedmann, is among the most powerful ways to deliver a marketing message, and it’s not used often enough in the women’s arena. Since the show is brief, Friedmann said viewers can easily watch it on their computer screen at work. “It’s about sitting down on a Thursday and letting us all take a breather, smile, laugh and not take ourselves too seriously,” said Friedmann. “Laughter is a stress-reliever.”

The show starts with a skit that incorporates information about the Bearpaw brand, delivered in a lively manner. Viewers are then invited to submit questions or comments online that will be discussed during the show. At the end of each airing, there will be a product giveaway, with the winner being chosen at random from among the online commenters.